1. Field
Embodiments relates to a laser, and more particularly, to a surface plasmon laser for oscillating laser light by using a surface plasmon resonance phenomenon.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, optical integrated circuits are optical circuits on which various optical elements perform various operations such as light emission, optical detection, optical amplification, and optical modulation on a single substrate. For example, a light source, a photodetector, an optical waveguide, a lens, a grating, and an optical switch may be integrated on a single substrate. An optical integrated circuit may be diversely applied to devices in various fields, for example, an optical recording/reproduction apparatus, an optical communication apparatus, a display apparatus, and an optical computer.
A laser is mainly used as a light source in an optical integrated circuit. Various types of lasers have been developed according to an output, an oscillation wavelength, and an oscillation method. To increase a degree of integration of an optical integrated circuit, the size of a light spot of a laser beam emitted by a laser should be formed to be very tiny, for example, less than or equal to 1 μm. Also, a laser device should be formed to be small. However, there is a limit in the size of a small light spot in the lasers suggested thus far due to a limit in diffraction. Accordingly, efforts to develop a laser having a new structure that can overcome the limit in diffraction of a laser have been increased.